Brightline West aims to cut the travel time between LA and Las Vegas to just over two hours|Brightline West

A $12 billion high-speed rail project linking Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area got underway yesterday, marking a milestone in American transportation.

Dubbed the nation’s “first true high-speed passenger rail system,” this venture by Brightline West, whose sister company operates the Miami-Orlando rail link, will construct 218 miles of new track along Interstate 15, linking Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California, with a planned commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles.

The electric-powered trains aim to slash travel time between the LA metro area and Vegas to just over two hours. With projected one-way fares comparable to airline tickets, the rail line aims to serve 11 million passengers one-way each year and will run 25 trains each way daily.

Las Vegas—which has nearly 3 million residents—draws more than 40 million visitors each year. 

Brightline West plans to launch the rail service before the LA Olympics in 2028.

It’s fast
The train targets speeds surpassing 186 mph, rivaling Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains.

Another fast train in the US includes Amtrack’s Acels, which operates between Boston and Washington, DC, with a top speed of 150 miles per hour. But rails aren’t considered “high speed” unless they top at least 160 miles per hour.